Tale As Old As Time
by clarembees
Summary: Two interconnecting one-shots about what we didn't see between Sam and Mercedes during the finale. They were barely even friends, then somebody bent unexpectedly.
1. Tale As Old As Time

_Author's Note: These are two inter-connecting one-shots that fill in the blanks for SamCedes during the season finale; ie how they got together and what happened before and after they ran into Kurt and Blaine at the Lima Bean._

_The title comes from the song "Beauty and the Beast," which just screams SamCedes to me. Also, I know Kurt and Rachel's performance of "For Good" came **after** Finchel's New York date, but for the sake of this story pretend it happened before._

**Tale As Old As Time**

Sam wasn't exactly sure why he had agreed to help Finn on his quest or whatever to woo Rachel with some date straight out of a romantic comedy. It's not like they were friends or anything. Cause, yeah, they so _weren't_. They, like, barely spoke and maybe the most they had ever said to each other was when Mr. Schue was having them perform _Rocky Horror_ and that might as well have been a _lifetime ago_.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his McKinley letterman's jacket, he flipped his bangs out of his eyes and licked his lips a few times before he nudged Mike in the ribs with his elbow. "Dude, why am _I_ here? Like, I get why you and Artie and Puck are here; you're Finn's friends and all, but we're not exactly _bros_, you know?"

The slim Asian blinked in disbelief at the taller blonde. "Um, you do remember the _disaster_ that was me singing with Tina for the duets competition, right? I'm a _dancer_, dude, but more importantly my voice won't stand out as much in a four part harmony as it will in a three part harmony. And _you know_ if Rachel hears it _crack_, she'll stop the date and start making me do my scales and my arpeggios or some other _crazy_ vocal exercise."

Shaking his head, a grim look crossed his face. "Talk about a _buzz kill_, right?"

Then the boyish features of his face turned urgent as he reminded Sam, "Besides Finn and Rachel doing a duet together is our _best_ chance at Nationals."

"Hey, _Michelle_ and _Samantha_," Puck called out. "You wanna stop gabbing already? I know you wanna know how Sammy gets those amazing highlights in his hair Mikey, but Frankenteen and Babs are like two feet away. Now lean up against the wall and try to act cool."

The mo-hawked badass popped the collar of his navy blue shirt and gave the other boys a smirk as he snarked, "You know like me."

"Right," Sam elongated the word and shook his head. "Cause _you're_ not the dude holding an _accordion_; you know the _lamest_ instrument ever?"

"Watch it, Trouty Mouth. I'll _totally_ punch those submarine lips of yours into next Tuesday. Besides," He remarked with a swagger. "I make _everything_, even this _lame old man's_ instrument look damn good. It's just what the Puckzilla does. Now shut up," He hissed. "I can hear Finnessa's ginormous feet."

"This date is straight out of those wonderful romantic comedies I love watching so much." Rachel's voice was bubbling with excitement. Clapping her hands together and hopping up and down, she stopped to look up at the much taller boy from behind her lashes and whispered wistfully, "If only there was a group of street singers ready to serenade us, it would be perfect."

Without giving Rachel any indication that they were all leaning up against the wall, Finn just nodded and then Puck started playing his accordion and singing.

"_**Oh this night...It's a beautiful night...And we call it Bella Notte...Look at the skies...They have stars in their eyes...On this lovely Bella Notte..."**_

Artie's soulful, but soft tone took over the second verse as they followed Finn and Rachel down the New York City street.

"_**Side by side...With your loved one...You'll find enchantment here...The night will weave its magic spell...When the one you love is near..."**_

And then he and Mike joined in with Puck and Artie for the chorus.

"_**Oh this is the night...And the heavens are right...On this lovely Bella Notte..."**_

"In those romantic comedies you like so much," Finn whispered while Artie shared a knowing look with Sam who nodded. "This is where I would kiss you."

"Yes." She murmured back, lips trembling.

He leaned in and Sam was all ready to fist pump and then bump fists with Mike who was standing next to him; knowing once their two leads kissed, they would have sealed their win at Nationals. Except there was no kiss. Rachel kept saying she couldn't and eventually she just ran off in the other direction, leaving Finn standing there looking more confused than usual.

_Damn_, Sam thought as he shared similar looks of disappointment with the other three boys who were standing around him. _There goes our chance at Nationals._

The tall blonde boy was still humming _"Bella Notte"_ when he walked through the lobby of the hotel, his hands stuffed into the pockets of jacket. He was about to punch the "up" arrow to go back to the room, when the doors opened and revealed Mercedes stepping out. His palms started to get sweaty and he could feel his cheeks heating up as he swallowed thickly and started doing a mental checklist of whether his breath smelled, _he_ smelled or if he still had any bits of Cheetos stuck in his teeth.

Her soft, but teasing tone drew him out of his head. "Boy, are you just gonna stand there? Or are you gonna move so I can be on my way?"

Blinking, he shook his bangs from his eyes and his lips curved slightly. "If I say no, are you going to do something about it?"

She giggled; a sound he could admit silently – since they had been hanging out after prom and stuff – that he looked forward to hearing. "_Hell to the yeah_, I'm gonna do something about it. Divas don't take kind to people being in their way when they're on a mission. Even if they are a cute white boy who can _rock_ a letterman's jacket like _nobody's business_."

Peering at her from behind his bangs, his wide mouth grew into the signature lopsided grin she had come to know and her stomach flip flopped. "So," He moved from standing in front of her to by her side and he easily slung an arm around her shoulders. "Is that diva speak for, like, I think you're hot Sam?"

The wiggling he did with his eyebrows made her burst into full on laughter and she shoved him away. "I don't got time to play games. I gots to get my diva on and ain't nobody stopping me."

"Get your diva on? _Now_? But it's like, _past_ curfew or whatever! We're like supposed to be _in our beds_ and stuff."

She narrowed her eyes as she scoffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, cause _you_ didn't just come in from _outside_."

Sighing heavily, she let her whole stance soften as she whispered, "Kurt and Rachel aren't the only ones with Broadway dreams, you know. I'm just as excited to be here for the same reasons they are. When we were all supposed to be writing songs and everything, they snuck off to the Gershwin Theatre where _Wicked_ is performed and they sung on a _real Broadway_ stage."

She sucked in a shaky breath and Sam swallowed thickly, his heart twisting inside because he could see how _badly_ she wished she could have gone with the other two divas in the glee club. Her usual fierce nature was back before his heart could beat again and her head was held up high as she told him, "Well, now _I'm_ gonna sing on a _real Broadway_ stage."

"You're not going alone." He surprised himself with how forceful his tone was and he must have surprised her too because her chocolate eyes were wide.

"I mean..." He sighed and ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "You like, can't go _out there_ alone." He stressed as he exaggeratedly motioned toward the hotel doors with his hands. "Who knows what's out there? You could like run into _giant sturmbeests_ or like _Death Eaters_ or maybe even _Jabba the Hut_! Maybe I don't know anything about Broadway or whatever, but I'm not letting you go by yourself. New York's dangerous at night."

"Are you _serious_ right now, white boy? I ain't gonna be running into any fictional Sci-Fi stuff or whatever it is you talkin' bout. And _I _can _take care_ of mine, a'ight? You don't need to be worryin' your pretty face about this. Mama's got it on lock."

"Can you just like," He paused to lick his lips a few times and glanced down at his beat-up sneakers before his clear green eyes locked on her chocolate. "Humor me? If you go by yourself, I won't be able to sleep and I'll keep everybody else up by like watching the _SyFy_ channel and thinking about all the horrible stuff that could happen to you."

"I promise," He was fidgeting with nervousness and bouncing on his heels. "That I won't interrupt you getting your diva on and stuff."

Her stomach was flip flopping again and her cheeks started to heat up from how cute she thought he looked right then. His bangs were falling into the stunningly clear green shade of his eyes (and she couldn't blame them; his eyes were the prettiest she'd ever seen), his cute pink lips were pouting and he just looked so earnest that she couldn't tell him no; even though she wanted to.

She hadn't planned on having an audience when she went to have her Broadway moment, but _he_ wasn't just _anyone_. Ever since prom, they had been sort of hanging out – way more than they ever had before – and it was hard not to ignore how good looking he was or how sweet.

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, as if she was making some grand sacrifice by letting him tag along, but when his large calloused fingers wrapped around hers, sparks surged up and down her arm and the heat in her cheeks grew.

They were steps away from the stage at the _Lunt-Fontanne Theatre_, when a booming voice stopped them in their tracks. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Slowly, the pair turned around. He looked sheepish, his head hanging down while she tried to go for the wide eyed innocent look. The late night security guard shook his head. "You've got fifteen minutes to sing your song, then you kids better get lost. Otherwise I'm makin' some phone calls that you're not gonna like."

Her whole face brightened. "You serious? You're gonna let us sing?"

"That's fourteen minutes and forty five seconds." Was all he said before walking back out.

Sam laughed softly at the way Mercedes jumped up and down and clapped her hands. She let out this not so little squeal, which made him wince, but the wince quickly turned into a gasp when she suddenly launched herself at him and his hands were filled with her ample curves and the heaviness of her breasts were pressed into his chest and he could smell her perfume.

Sucking in a shaky breath, he pulled her just a little closer and bent forward – in what he hoped was a totally non-creepy way – to smell the warm cinnamon smell of her perfume.

When she pulled back, he missed the feel of her immediately, but it didn't last long because her small, smooth fingers were wrapped around his larger, calloused ones as she dragged him up on the stage with her. He stumbled slightly, his feet struggling to keep up with the fast, excitable movements of her own and it was like _someone_ knew they were up there or something because _suddenly_ the room was flooded with bright, white hot light.

"You know," She said, her voice wistful and chocolate eyes big and full of happiness. "Toni Braxton performed on this _very stage_ as the _first black_ Belle."

He didn't know that, but he nodded anyway, his eyes transfixed on her as she moved about the stage. She wasn't graceful the way Quinn was and her movements weren't big and wide like Rachel's (you know, like she'd been practicing since she was like _born_ or something), but they were sort of soft (could you move soft?) and easy and like she _belonged_ up there.

He started to walk off, ready to give her the moment she wanted, but the sound of her forceful tone stopped him. "And just where do you think you're going?"

Turning to face her, he rubbed the back of his neck and blinked a few times. "Uh, out there? You like wanted to get your diva on, right? Not that I know what that means or anything, but um, don't like divas usually sing by themselves or something?"

"Boy," She shook her head, giggles bubbling behind her voice. "Get your Trouty Lips back up here. This diva knows how to share her spot light."

"You wanna sing..." He said the words slowly as if he was trying to process them in his head. Licking his lips, he swallowed thickly and asked, "Together?"

"No." She deadpanned, reaching for his hand to pull him toward her. "I wanna sing by myself and have you just stand there lookin' _all fine_ in your letterman's jacket and jeans."

The words were out of her mouth before she even realized what she said and her cheeks burned hotter than they ever had before. She started gnawing at her lip and her eyes were hidden by her perfectly curled eyelashes, and just as she started to say something, he got brave and pressed her lips closed with one of his fingers.

_**(Tale as old as time**_

_**True as it can be**_

_**Barely even friends**_

_**Then somebody bends**_

_**Unexpectedly) ("Beauty and the Beast" - Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson)**_

His finger slid away and his name fell from the softness of her lips in a breathless questioning whisper, "Sam?"

He sucked in a deep breath and slid his fingers through his hair. "I'm not like good at this stuff, okay? I mean I have _no_ luck with girls and I'm like _really_ nerdy and stuff, but um...When we were dancing at prom and since we've been hanging out a little, I just..You're...You're _awesome_, Mercedes. Like the extended edition of _Avatar _with the half hour of bonus features _awesome_.."

"Is that geek speak for sayin' you're feelin' me?" Her voice hinted at laughter, but this was the most serious question she had ever asked another person in her whole life.

"Totally." His wide mouth stretched into this lopsided smile that had her heart skipping beats and her own smile playing at her lips.

_**(Just a little change**_

_**Small, to say the least**_

_**Both a little scared**_

_**Neither one prepared**_

_**Beauty and the Beast)**_

Inches separated them, inches that were quickly closed by him bending his head and her standing on her toes. Their lips met and the kiss started out slow and exploratory, but it still hit all the right notes; like two singers figuring out how to blend their voices in harmony. His arms brought her closer to him; their bodies now meshed together and the feeling intensifying the kiss as her mouth slid open to invite his tongue inside.

Pulling back from each other, their eyes were dazed, cheeks were flushed and their breath was quick. His lips quirked slowly and with his fingers caressing her cheek, he told her, "You're ha lor."

"Say what?"

The flush of his cheeks deepened, turning his pale skin a brighter pink then the natural color of his lips. "It means you're beautiful in Na'vi."

Her smile was as soft as her voice when she murmured, "Thank you."

_**(Ever just the same**_

_**Ever a surprise**_

_**Ever as before**_

_**And ever just as sure**_

_**As the sun will rise)**_

A silence fell between them as they stared into each other's eyes and then they heard the door creek open and somehow the fifteen minutes the security guard had given them was up. His handsome features clouded with disappointment. "You didn't get a chance to sing." He was almost pouting then he licked his lips and nodded eagerly as if an idea was forming in his head. "Maybe I could convince that guy to give you just like a couple of minutes so you can sing. Don't move, okay? You're gonna..."

"Stop." Her voice wasn't loud, but it still managed to stop him. "You don't have to do that, Sam. I got somethin' better than singing on a stage."

"Y-you d-did?" His heart had suddenly leapt into his throat and mentally he was crossing his fingers hoping that she meant he was that something better.

"I got you."

"Y-yeah?"

"Yeah."

_**(Tale as old as time**_

_**Tune as old as song**_

_**Bittersweet and strange**_

_**Finding you can change**_

_**Learning you were wrong)**_

_**(Certain as the sun**_

_**Rising in the east**_

_**Tale as old as song**_

_**Song as old as rhyme**_

_**Beauty and the Beast)**_

_**(Tale as old as time**_

_**Song as old as rhyme**_

_**Beauty and the Beast)**_

_**Song used "Beauty and the Beast" by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson**_

_Note: A giant sturmbeest is an animal that the Na'vi in Avatar hunt for food, Death Eaters are dark wizards from Harry Potter and Jabba the Hut is the space gangster from the Star Wars films, which I'm sure – despite Sam's worries – you're not going to run into in New York at night, LOL._

"_Ha Lor" means "beautiful" in Na'vi, but if I'm wrong don't blame me, I used the Navi-Lator online._

_And the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is where "Beauty and the Beast" the Broadway musical was performed and where it closed it's run as the eighth longest Broadway show in history._


	2. Gonna Make You My Baby

**Gonna Make You My Baby**

Backstage at Nationals, Sam was fidgeting with all kinds of nervous energy. He thought he had been nervous at Sectionals and at Regionals too, but he wasn't _this_ nervous. He kind of thought he might throw up, which would have been _super_ embarrassing.

Bringing his hands up to adjust the knot in his tie, he untied it and realized what a mistake it was because now he was fumbling with the smooth fabric. Just as he was about to call out to Mike to help him fix it like he had in their room, he heard the disapproving clicking of someone's tongue, which caused his head to snap to the left.

"_Boy_," Mercedes chastised, reaching out for the tie as she shook her head. "What are you goin' and messin' with your tie for? It was fine the way it was."

"You don't have to fix it." His cheeks flushed and his lips were down turned sheepishly. "I was gonna get Mike to do it, anyway. I'm just like _really_ nervous I guess. This is like _Nationals_, you know?"

"Do you ever stop wiggling and fidgeting? You're gonna waste all your energy movin' around instead of dancin' up on the stage. Take a deep breath and chill."

He swallowed thickly as he stared down at the beautiful girl in front of him.

Her smooth fingers glided over the skin of his neck as she adjusted the collar of his black shirt and because she was so close he could smell the cinnamon of her perfume and that was the _real_ reason he couldn't stop fidgeting. Her nearness made him nervous and how beautiful she looked in the flowing black dress all the girls were wearing did too.

Licking his lips, he pushed his bangs from his eyes and told her, "You look really beautiful, Mercedes."

He thought he could see the deep copper of her cheeks turning the warm peach they had the night before, but he couldn't investigate any further because suddenly Kurt had appeared by her side. "She does, doesn't she?" The counter tenor gushed as he twirled her around. "I feel like I created a masterpiece with your hair and your makeup. It's like prom all over again."

"Yeah," He agreed absently under his breath. "It's totally like prom all over again."

He didn't want Kurt to leave, he liked the smaller boy and he was happy he was back at McKinley, but he kinda wished he would go find Santana and Brittany to gush about their hair and makeup or whatever so he could talk to Mercedes alone; except that didn't look like it was going to happen.

His almond shaped grey eyes went wide and he gasped in awe as he turned her toward him, his hands firmly planted on her shoulders and yelped, "Are you _serious_ right now? You're wearing _the _black booties we saw _Blake_ wearing at _The Green Lantern _premiere in _Vogue_ last week?"

"_Baby_," Mercedes stressed, a bright smile crossing her soft features that made his stomach flip flop. "You should have seen the shoes Rachel thought we should all be wearin'. Ugh. If it wasn't for me and T we'd be stuck in those God awful Mary Janes she likes so much."

"No!"

Moving away from the excitable pair, he found himself standing with Mike like they were leaning up against the random brick wall on that street from the night before. "Do you, like, _understand_ girls and shoes?"

"I don't think we're _supposed_ to understand girls and shoes, man."

"Whoa." Sam's eyes went wide and his mouth formed an o as he blinked. "You are a _wise Asian_, dude. That totally makes sense."

"I wasn't cast as Jimny Cricket in Wilson Elementary's fourth grade production of Pinocchio for nothin'."

After the MC announced them, the backstage area fell silent as Finn and Rachel made their way to the stage. He stayed next to Mike but as Rachel and Finn's voices filled the theatre, his eyes fell on Mercedes' silhouette, drinking her in like he couldn't when Kurt had unexpectedly showed up by her side earlier. His tongue wet his lips and he swallowed thickly.

None of them had heard the duet their captains were going to sing and he didn't think he'd actually listen to the words, but once he heard them sing, _**"Will we ever say the words we're feeling**_,_**"**_ he couldn't help but think of him and Mercedes. They had to talk about last night, like, before they got back to Lima. He didn't know why talking about what happened between them suddenly seemed so urgent, but as he listened to Finn and Rachel pouring out their hearts to each other, he knew why it was.

Maybe Puck was right about New York being the "city of love," though he still _totally_ thought it was Paris.

He started fidgeting again once the reverb of the final note ended and like everyone else in the theatre, he was transfixed – like almost frozen – by the way Finn and Rachel were staring at each other and not moving. He watched as she leaned in close and he bent his head down and then they were kissing; gasps rang out all around him and he was sure he gasped too.

Turning to Mike, he asked, "Were they, like, _supposed to_ kiss or something?"

The other boy shook his head. "I doubt it. If they _were_, Rachel would have made Finn _rehearse_ the kiss _over and over_. He totally caught her off guard."

"Whoa."

"Exactly."

The crowd was on their feet and clapping and cheering just like the one at Regionals had been after they finished their group number _"Light Up The World"_ and with adrenaline rushing through him, Sam reached for Mercedes and pulled her into an unexpected hug. Her cinnamon smell was all around him once again, and he had no choice but to inhale the alluring scent.

Breaking the hug, he looked down at her, pink lips spread into a wide and goofy grin. "We _killed_ it! We _so killed_ it!" He shouted as he pumped his fist high in the air.

"We did, didn't we?" Her beautifully soft features were as bright as they had been on the stage of the empty theatre the night before and he nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

As high as everyone had been after the performance, it all came crashing down, when Mr. Schue appeared in front of them after looking at the results and said grimly, "We didn't place."

With the triumphant yells and hollers of the other show choirs ringing in their ears, they trudged back upstairs, all of them ending up in the girl's hotel room and not knowing what to say. With tears in her big brown eyes, Rachel sniffled and started apologizing, when suddenly Santana started screaming and cursing in Spanish as she lunged for the smaller brunette.

He, Mike and Quinn somehow managed hold the feisty Latina back as she continued her verbal assault about bad things happening in Lima Heights Adjacent while trying to break free from their hold, her arms reaching out to claw at Finn who was standing in front of Rachel.

"I can't believe it." He heard Mercedes soft, dejected voice from beside him after Brittany had taken Santana into the bathroom to calm her down. "We _lost_. After all _that_, we _still _lost. And why? Because Finn and Rachel _had _to figure out their _crazy ass _will they or won't they ish?"

His fingers twitched at his sides and his hands sort of shook at his sides, the feeling of wanting to reach for her and put his hand on her shoulder, _really _strong inside of him. His tongue wet his lips and he took a fortifying breath as he molded his hand to the gentle curve of her shoulder, making her turn her head so her chocolate eyes were staring into his clear green.

"Don't, like, hate me or anything and I know this like cliché or whatever, but there's always next year. We could _totally_ come back and kick ass and take names. I mean, come on, Mercedes _we_ wrote _our own_ songs! No one else did that and maybe they weren't as good as the ones we did for Regionals, but we'll be like _even better_ next year, right?"

"We said the same thing last year."

"So what? This time next year, we'll be putting Finn and Rachel on our shoulders and screaming and telling Vocal Adrenaline to like suck it."

He held his breath, hoping to see her chocolate eyes glimmer like they usually did and slowly the dark orbs regained their sparkle and her lips quirked with amusement. "I hope you're right."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her into his side and his eyes darted around the room for a moment, checking to make sure no one was looking at them, and he bent to kiss her head. His reward was her little button nose scrunching and cute giggles bubbling from her pretty lips, making his heart swell because he got her to do all that.

They were back in Lima fast enough to give them all whiplash and suddenly everything about the average sized town seemed small; smaller than it ever was before. But the motel room he and his family were staying in felt especially smaller and it made his stomach churn and his fists ball up tightly because he couldn't do more than just working nights delivering pizzas.

Flopping down on the bed, he winced as the old, metal springs creaked underneath the weight of his muscular six foot frame. Sighing heavily, his fingers shifted through the soft strands of his golden hair and bit down on his full bottom lip, nibbling slightly as he remembered what he told all the guys back in New York before they helped Finn try and woo Rachel.

"_If I was in love with a girl and I wasn't homeless, I would totally go for it."_

Looking around the impossibly small room that was bursting with everything his family owned, his heart sank. There's no way even after they kissed on the stage in that empty theatre she would go for him. He couldn't _afford_ to take her on dates and buy her presents or even _flowers_; unless, you know, you counted the wildflowers you could buy at a gas station, and he didn't. His eyes drifted to the ceiling while his stomach was churning and twisting once again as his little sister Stacey climbed onto the bed and began shaking his strong shoulder as vigorously as her little hands could.

"Sammy, you gotta get up." She whispered.

"I'm awake, Stace." He assured, gently pushing her away.

"I know you're _awake_, silly, but you have to get _up_." Her little voice bubbled with excitement, but it still wasn't enough for him to actually move. "There's a pretty girl at the door and she wants to have coffee with you before school."

"Tell Quinn," He said knowing it was the small blonde Stacey was most likely referring to. "That I don't feel like coffee, okay?"

_More like I don't feel like her paying for my coffee_, he thought absently hoping just this one time his little sister would listen to him.

"No, silly, Quinn's _not_ the pretty girl at the door. She looks like _Cinderella_. _This _pretty girl looks like _Princess Tiana_.

Unlike most seventeen year old boys he _actually_ knew who Princess Tiana was and he nearly tripped over his legs as he shot up from the bed to rush over to the door. He skidded to a stop half way and messed around with his hair for a few seconds before he ran his tongue over his teeth, feeling for any bits of food that could be stuck, once he was sure his teeth were clear, he rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans and then finished his walk to the door.

"Don't look so excited to see me." Mercedes teased, soft features and smile bright.

"Uh, sorry." He murmured sheepishly, his fingers sifting through his hair as his mouth grew into the lopsided smile that had come to make her stomach flip flop. "I'm happy to see you, like, I swear!"

"Relax." She reached out to pat his upper arm and her cheeks flushed as she was able to feel the contours of the nicely formed muscles underneath the short sleeves of his grey hoodie; all the working out he talked up during _Rocky Horror_ really did pay off.

"So, um, Stacey said you, like, wanted to have coffee?"

"Yeah." She shifted back and forth on her feet, suddenly feeling nervous. "Everyone was so depressed on the plane ride back we never got a chance to talk about what happened in New York, and I think we should talk about it."

"You're talking about us kissing, right?"

"Unless you kissed someone else, yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about; us kissing."

"That's cool. I just, um, I..." He swallowed and let out a sharp rush of air while she took notice of how good his pretty pink lips looked all pursed together like that; they were begging to be kissed and she wished they were alone so she could oblige. "Money's still really tight and stuff," He hung his head and his pale cheeks flushed, making her stomach twist.

"Don't worry about it. I got this, okay?" Her voice was gentle and he shivered from the feeling of her fingers touching his skin as she lifted his chin. "And don't worry about paying me back a'ight? It's not necessary. I mean, sure, you can _try_, but you'll just be wastin' time."

"We'll see about that."

Halfway to the Lima Bean, Sam put his hand on the crook of Mercedes' elbow and she stopped mid-step to turn to look at him. Her eyes were wide and expectant as she nibbled nervously on her bottom lip while he thought she looked _totally_ beautiful and wanted nothing more than to nibble on her lip himself.

Flushing brightly from where his head was at, he licked his lips and cleared his throat. "I really like you, like a lot, Mercedes." He fumbled with the straps of his backpack before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But _seriously _I don't know what you'd get out of dating me. I can't _actually_ date you, you know what I mean? I can't even buy you flowers; cause you deserve way more than the cheap wildflowers from a gas station. Kissing you was great, but..."

His rambling was cut off by her lips pressing themselves forcefully into his own, nearly sending him stumbling backwards. He fell into the kiss quickly, though; her caramel taste proving too good to resist as he moved his lips perfectly in sync with hers.

They were both breathless when they pulled away and now it was his turn to stare at her expectantly.

"I really hope kissin' on those pretty lips you got, ain't the _only _way to shut you up." She shook her head, but a smile played at her soft, glistening lips.

"You _shouldn't _have kissed me to shut me up then; especially not like _that_." He told her trying his best to look innocent, but failing.

"Be serious. Cause I'm about to lay down the facts and you best be listenin' a'ight? J. Lo was not frontin' when she said love don't cost a thing. I don't need you buyin' me things or takin' me out every night or whatever it is you think you need to do to keep me on your arm, okay? Nobody has ever looked at me the way you look at me. I talk a good game about not needin' a man and all that ish, but I want what every girl wants; a boy to look at me like you do, to tell me I'm beautiful and mean it, to get all fumbling and cute as hell around me. You just do all that and we'll be all good. For real."

"Seriously?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No."

"Then chill and put those lips of yours to good use by kissin' on me."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

They broke apart after another kiss that left them breathless and made their way inside the Lima Bean. Each time her delicately shaped smooth fingers brushed against the thickness of his large, calloused ones, both felt the same shiver race up their spines and the same spark surge through them, making them smile softly at each other as they tried not to laugh giddily.

He was about to ask her what she wanted, when suddenly, they heard Kurt's happy voice shout, "Oh! Look who's here!"

Blaine turned around, his usual charming smile crossing his lush lips and warmth was etched into his musical tone as he greeted them, "Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

Neither knew what to say; there was a lot of story behind how they got "here," and they weren't talking about here as in the Lima Bean. They shared a brief look before Sam swung is arms back and forth, trying to be as casual as he could saying, as he licked his lips, "Just, uh, getting a coffee."

Mercedes nodded her head vigorously, speaking faster than she normally did when she said, "We ran into each other in the parking lot."

For their part, it appeared that neither boy noticed anything was different about the blonde jock and the curvaceous diva. With his fingers crossed exaggeratedly, Blaine told the pair, "We're on our way to get sheet music; tomorrow's my audition for the summer show at Six Flags."

Kurt easily transitioned the conversation back to him, announcing his summer plans with an easy flair. "Where as I am spending my summer composing _Pip Pip Hooray;_ a Broadway musical about Pippa Middleton."

Sam's forehead creased in confusion about Kurt's plans about some Broadway show about a person – at least he thought this Pippa Middleton was a person – he'd never heard of, but the smaller boy was Mercedes' best friend, so he nodded and did his best to be supportive. "Um, yeah, I have _no idea_ who that is, but it sounds _totally_ awesome."

He hoped the wink he gave at the end wasn't too suspicious or weird.

She couldn't help but giggle at how adorable he looked all confused with his brows furrowed and his pretty lips pursed together. Lightly, she patted his chest, the urge to touch him surging through her as she rolled her eyes and shared a look with Kurt that said _Really? How can he not know who Pippa Middleton is?_

Expectantly, Blaine and Kurt started at both of them and quickly, she put an end to their conversation with her eyes bright and her voice a little higher than usual, "We'll see you in class!"

Once they were behind the large column that the boys' table was situated behind, through clenched teeth she asked worriedly, "Do you think they know?"

He shrugged her off easily with the reminder of, "Nobody knows."

"Right."

Biting down on her lip, Mercedes fumbled with the cardboard protective sleeve the baristas put on all the coffee cups as they made their way from the Lima Bean to McKinley High. Turning to Sam, she asked, "Why didn't we say anything to Kurt and Blaine about us?"

He licked his lips nervously and swallowed thickly, his brows furrowing in concentration as he hoped he wouldn't screw up and say the wrong thing. "Uh," He mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck before he pulled her behind one of the trees in the school's parking lot. "Should I have said something? Cause I _totally _would have if you wanted me to. Wait, I was _supposed _to know you wanted me to say something, wasn't I?"

"Are you tellin' me you read minds, Sam?"

"Uh, no. Cause, like, I don't. Though, that would be _totally _awesome if I could. I would be like Professor X from the X-Men!"

"I am like _two seconds_ away from smackin' you upside your blonde head, boy. Do not be talkin' about comics right now! _This is serious_! What the hell are we even doin'? What is _this_? Are you my man now? Am I your girl?"

_**(Moment of honesty**_

_**Someone's gotta take the lead tonight**_

_**Whose it gonna be?**_

_**I'm gonna sit right here**_

_**And tell you all that comes to me**_

_**If you have something to say**_

_**You should say it right now**_

_**[Drake: You should say it right now]) ("Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" by Alicia Keys feat. Drake)**_

The way her body shook and the frantic look inside her chocolate eyes had his stomach sinking. Instead of saying they were at the Lima Bean for coffee (even though, they were), he should have told Kurt and Blaine he was getting coffee with his girlfriend. He really screwed up.

Running his fingers through his hair, he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze as his clear green eyes bore into her chocolate. "I should have told Kurt and Blaine I was getting coffee with my girlfriend, but _this_ what's happening between you and me is, like, _new;_ really new and it's not an excuse, but me and girls haven't exactly worked out. Quinn was always trying to make me less dorky and Santana she was just really scary and handsy too, so I just did whatever she said. This – you and me – it's like different, but in a good way. You don't want to make me less dorky, you're not scary or handsy," A cheeky grin crossed his wide lips as he wiggled his brows. "Though, if you _want_, I'm not, like, opposed to you being _handsy_."

He hoped his corniness would make her laugh and sure enough, the familiar bubbly sound escaped those perfectly kissable lips of hers.

"You crazy, white boy, you know that?"

"Crazy about you."

"Stop it." She flushed brightly and shook her head as she pushed at his chest, trying to get him out of her personal space, but he wouldn't budge.

"You asked if I was your man and I want to be." His pale cheeks now matched the pink color of his wide mouth. "Just like I want you to be my girl, but I don't think everybody needs to be in our business, you know? I mean, it's like, _every non-Asian_ relationship in this glee club is, like, _cursed_ or something, and I think we should take this slow. _Everything_ went so fast with Quinn and even though she kissed Finn and stuff, I think I kind of scared her off with the whole promise ring thing and Santana...Like I said, she's just _way scary_ and who wants to be on her bad side? Bad things," He said in a high pitched tone with a horrible Spanish accent. "Happen in Lima Heights Adjacent."

"So we're keepin' this on the down low then?"

"Only if you're cool with it. If you're not, I could _totally_ save up my money from my pizza delivery job and get a sky writer to write that Mercedes Jones is my girl over Lima."

"I knew I was right when I called you crazy; cause you are. And just so we're _crystal_, I'm down with keeping us on the down low. I like having something that's just mine; _especially_ since I tell Kurt and Tina _everything_. I can tell you how good you make me feel and how I've never felt like this before." Her voice grew soft and wistful as a warm smile crossed her lips while she peered at him from behind her eyelashes.

_**(You give me a feeling that I never felt before**_

_**And I deserve it, I think I deserve it**_

_**[Drake: I deserve it, I think I deserve it...Let it go]**_

_**It's becoming something that's impossible to ignore**_

_**And I can't take it**_

_**[Drake: I can't take it])**_

Gently, he pushed several strands of her smooth straight hair behind her ear and he shook his head. "Someone should have been smart enough to make you feel like this before me."

Waiving her hand dismissively, she cupped the strong curve of his cheek in her palm. "Don't sweat the technique a'ight? Obviously, I've been waitin' for some crazy, dorkalicious white boy who can rock a letterman's jacket like nobody's business, the prettiest green I eyes I've ever seen and delicious pink lips I can't stop wanting to kiss."

"You can't stop wanting to kiss me, huh?" The cheeky grin from earlier was back and his stunningly clear green eyes sparkled in a way she hadn't seen, but liked a lot.

"Divas don't lie about wanting to get their kiss on and this diva – well, she don't lie about bein' your girl. So how bout you seal this deal and make me your baby."

_**(I was wondering**_

_**Could I make you my baby**_

_**If we do the unthinkable would it make us look crazy**_

_**If you ask me I'm ready**_

_**[Echo: I'm ready, I'm ready]**_

_**If you ask me I'm ready**_

_**[Echo: I'm ready, I'm ready])**_

Until the last glee club meeting of the year, those were the last words either Sam or Mercedes spoke. Instead of sealing the deal she proposed with words, he did it with a series of kisses. First on her forehead, then across her eyelids, on the tip of her button nose, both of her cheeks and then finally her lips. The kiss he drew her lips into started out soft and gentle, but it quickly grew in both length and heat.

For the first time they both tasted each other; their tongues probing while their bodies were pressed tightly together as her back scraped against the thick, harsh trunk of the tree they were standing behind.

They pulled back, after air became a necessity, goofy smiles gracing their faces as their chests heaved up and down. Before their hands became intertwined, they scanned the parking lot making sure the cars that belonged to their fellow gleeks were all in the parking lot and then they walked inside, only letting go of each other's hands as they made their way through the choir room door.

All the while, though, they kept stealing glances at each other and smiling in secret, the new and exciting feelings surging inside of them too strong to make them stop.

_**(You give me a feeling that I never felt before**_

_**And I deserve it, I know I deserve it**_

_**[Drake: I know I deserve it, I know I deserve it. Let it go]**_

_**It's becoming something that's impossible to ignore**_

_**It's what we make it**_

_**[Drake: It's what we make it])**_

_**Song used "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" by Alicia Keys feat. Drake)**_

_Note: The Blake Kurt refers to is Blake Lively an actress best known for her role as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl and Princess Tiana, the way Sam's baby sister Stacey describes Mercedes, is Disney's first African American Princess from the 2009 movie the Princess & The Frog._


End file.
